Printed soap bands are narrow greaseproof strips that wrap once round the middle of a bar and overlap at the back, so the soap stays on show and the band carries the name. They suit a cold-process maker who wants the texture and colour of the bar to sell it.
From £0.25 a sheet. Written quote in one working day and a free design proof; the exact number depends on size, ink count and quantity.
From £0.25 a sheet. Exact price on the written quote.
| Form | Flat cut strips, supplied unglued |
|---|---|
| Base sheet | Greaseproof natural kraft or white |
| Typical weight | About 45–60 gsm, stiff enough to hold a straight edge round the bar |
| 1–4 colours in food-safe soy and water-based inks, Pantone solid-coated matches | |
| Typical sizes | 40 × 200 mm, 50 × 230 mm, 65 × 250 mm, 75 × 280 mm |
| Packing | Stacked flat in cartons, counted, ready for the bench |
A soap band is a cut strip of greaseproof paper, typically 40 to 75 mm wide, printed with your logo and wrapped once round the girth of a bar. It overlaps by 20 to 30 mm at the back and closes with a dab of glue or a sticker. Unlike a card sleeve, it will not spot where the bar's oils touch it.
| Format | Typical size | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Sheet | 40 × 200 mm | Narrow band, small bar |
| Sheet | 50 × 230 mm | Standard band |
| Sheet | 65 × 250 mm | Wide band, large bar |
| Sheet | 75 × 280 mm | Full-label band |
The four sizes above are the usual picks; any other size is a custom cut, so ask on the quote. Full sheet and roll size chart.
Pick one of this paper's photos, drop your logo on it and send the mock along with your quote request.
Upload a logo and it appears on this sheet
The first photo shows a kraft band round a pale bar with a single logo centred on the front and a row of three small marks beneath it. Everything above and below the band is soap, which is the whole point of the format.
The second photo is a wider kraft sleeve with shapes cut out of the front so the bar shows through, and a white panel on the left for the name. The fourth is a white band carrying a small repeat with a round motif in the centre, round a dark grey bar; the contrast does the work.
The third photo puts a band next to two fully wrapped bars, which is the choice most makers weigh up: a wrap hides the bar and protects every face, a band shows it and protects the middle. The full soap wrapping sheets have their own page.
Measure round the bar the way the band will go, usually across the short way, then add 20 to 30 mm so the ends overlap at the back. Width is a matter of taste: narrow bands show more soap, wide bands carry more words.
| Typical size | Bar it suits | What fits on it |
|---|---|---|
| 40 × 200 mm | Guest bar, girth up to 175 mm (about 55 × 40 × 20 mm) | A narrow strip, logo only |
| 50 × 230 mm | Standard bar, girth up to 205 mm (about 90 × 65 × 25 mm) | Logo and scent name, the usual pick |
| 65 × 250 mm | Standard bar with room for an ingredient line, girth up to 225 mm | Logo, scent, short ingredient list |
| 75 × 280 mm | Chunky or tall bar, girth up to 255 mm (about 90 × 70 × 35 mm) | Full label layout on the band |
Bars from a loaf mould vary by a millimetre or two from one end to the other. Measure the thickest bar, not the thinnest, so the band is never short on the overlap.
Card looks smart on day one and shows a dark oil spot by week three, because a cold-process bar keeps giving up oil at the surface long after it is cut. Greaseproof paper holds that oil at the face and stays even in colour.
A sticker on bare soap has the opposite problem. The adhesive fights the oils, the corners lift and the sticker slides when the bar warms on a sunny market table.
A greaseproof band grips the bar lightly because its matt face does not slide, and it comes off cleanly when the customer unwraps it. It also prints well: a line of 7 pt text stays legible, which is not true of every rough kraft. The range page compares bands with full soap wraps.
Band artwork is a long thin strip, so plan it as three zones. The front third carries the logo and scent name. The two side zones carry a repeat, a line of text or nothing. The last 25 mm at one end is the overlap and sits under the other end, so keep it clear of anything that matters.
We mark the overlap on the proof as a shaded zone. If your design runs edge to edge, a repeat survives the overlap better than a single wide mark that gets cut in half.
Portrait bands, running the long way round a bar, are possible too; the 75 × 280 mm size is the one that usually fits. Try the strip in Design Your Custom Soap Bands to see where the front zone falls.
Bands arrive unglued and flat, which is what a maker doing 50 bars at a time wants: nothing to peel, nothing to line up but the logo.
Our printing on greaseproof paper guide shows what each ink does on kraft and white before you commit.
Yes, two ways. Print the logo and shared text, leave a blank window on the front, and stamp or handwrite the scent on each batch. You hold one band stock and the window changes.
Or print the scent names as a small checklist along one side zone and tick the right one with a pen. It looks deliberate, it adds no work at the bench, and customers rather like it.
The third way, a separate band per scent, only makes sense once a scent sells more than 1,000 bars a year, because each design is its own run.
Banding too early. A bar still curing shrinks a millimetre or two, and a band that fitted at week two is loose and spinning by week six. Band when the bar is cured and you are ready to sell. The soap wrapping guide lists cure times by recipe.
Measuring the smallest bar. Loaf-cut bars vary, and a band cut to the thinnest one will not overlap on the thickest. Measure a few and take the biggest girth.
Running text through the overlap. The last 25 mm is hidden under the join. We flag it on the proof, but check your own file first.
Ordering a wide band for a small bar. A 75 mm band on a 55 mm tall guest bar hides it entirely; use the 40 mm strip and let the soap show.
The minimum is 1,000 bands in one size and design. They come stacked flat in cartons, so a maker can band a batch at the table without unpacking a roll. Misprints or crushed cartons reported with photos within 10 days are reprinted or refunded. The quote form for soap bands takes the size, quantity and your file.
The questions UK buyers ask before a first order. Type a word to filter the cards, or open one for the full answer.
20 to 30 mm. Less and the glue dot has nothing to hold; more and the band stands proud where the layers double up.
20 to 30 mm. Less and the glue dot has nothing to hold; more and the band stands proud where the layers double up. Our typical sizes already include it.
The 50 × 230 mm band for a bar about 90 × 65 × 25 mm. It goes round the 180 mm girth with room for the overlap and a millimetre or two of variation between bars.
Flat and unglued, stacked in cartons. You wrap and close each one on the bench with a glue dot or a sticker, which lets you band bars as they sell rather than all at once.
Yes. The 75 × 280 mm size takes a standard bar lengthwise with overlap to spare.
Yes. The 75 × 280 mm size takes a standard bar lengthwise with overlap to spare. Tell us the orientation so the logo is set the right way up on the proof.
No. The greaseproof sheet holds the bar's surface oil at its face, so the band stays even in colour.
No. The greaseproof sheet holds the bar's surface oil at its face, so the band stays even in colour. A card sleeve wicks the oil and darkens where it touches the bar.
Yes, along one side zone. You tick the scent with a pen at the bench and hold a single band stock for the whole range.
Put a dot of glue stick inside the outer end and press for a few seconds; the matt face grips.
Put a dot of glue stick inside the outer end and press for a few seconds; the matt face grips. A small round sticker over the join is the other tidy option.
Yes, as a die-cut on the wider sizes. Keep the shapes at least 10 mm in from the edges so the band keeps its strength round the bar, and note the cut on the quote.
Yes, because the bar shrinks as it loses water. A band that fitted at two weeks spins loose at six.
Yes, because the bar shrinks as it loses water. A band that fitted at two weeks spins loose at six. Band bars only once they are cured and ready to sell.
40 mm is the narrowest typical width and it takes a logo and a short name.
40 mm is the narrowest typical width and it takes a logo and a short name. Narrower is possible as a custom cut, but anything under 30 mm struggles to hold a legible line of text.
It prints as a soft cream rather than a bright white, because the kraft shows through the ink.
It prints as a soft cream rather than a bright white, because the kraft shows through the ink. It suits a rustic range; for a crisp white, print on white stock instead.
Yes, with a longer custom cut. Measure the two bars stacked, add 25 mm, and we cut to that length.
Yes, with a longer custom cut. Measure the two bars stacked, add 25 mm, and we cut to that length. A 50 mm width looks right on a pair of 50 g bars.
No match. Ask us on WhatsApp or call +44 7578 382054.
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